"In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, I want to thank everyone who has supported and continues to support children in foster care with their greatest gift: their time. Volunteering has the power to change lives, and I am forever grateful for the many volunteers who have chosen to give that gift to Amara, and the kids in our care."

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month! Join us as we celebrate our amazing Amara volunteers who ensure children entering foster care are cared for - physically and emotionally - in our Emergency Sanctuaries. by Susie Ulrickson I worked for many years as a pediatric nurse where I learned how strong and adaptable kids are - even when faced with challenging medical issues and procedures. I learned it was

by Alisha Goel, Emergency Sanctuary Volunteer Growing up, I was always searching for a volunteer opportunity that felt truly meaningful. Sorting donations and spending a day cleaning up my community felt rewarding in their own way, but I never truly felt like I could see the impact of my time. A few months ago, I started volunteering at one of Amara's Emergency Sanctuaries. The Emergency

By Britt, Amara Emergency Sanctuary Volunteer I discovered Amara while researching volunteer opportunities, specifically ones where I could have a positive impact on vulnerable children in my community. I was a little nervous on my first day as an Emergency Sanctuary volunteer, as it had been several years since I had last worked with children professionally. My concerns were immediately put to rest when I

By the Amara Emergency Sanctuary Team We have served over 400 children at Grandese’s Place, the Amara Emergency Sanctuary in Seattle, in just two years - and we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our incredible volunteers. There were so many heartfelt, bittersweet, and magical moments: Baking a strawberry cake for an 8-year-old‘s birthday because he always had that cake for

By Hope Cohen, Emergency Sanctuary Program Coordinator Things don’t stay quiet long at the Emergency Sanctuary, where my colleagues (including volunteers) and I are caretakers to kids who have just been removed suddenly from their homes for their safety. Kids stay with us at the Sanctuary while they wait to either go home or to a foster family. At the Sanctuary, we try our best

By Katy Hill After I learned about the Amara Emergency Sanctuary on the Volunteer America website, I couldn’t stop thinking about these kids who had to be removed from their homes for their own safety. I wanted to help. So I went to an Amara Volunteer Information Meeting to learn more. I left with goosebumps after hearing stories from kids in foster care, and I

I spent a shift at our Emergency Sanctuary recently, and out of four kids, there were three siblings: Two twin boys and their sister. The twins had the same birthday as me, so I told them that we were triplets. Kids inspire that sort of humor even when it falls flat. For a child, entering foster care is an upheaval: They’re leaving their parents, their

With nearly a decade working with nonprofits that focus on homelessness and housing justice, Jenn saw the harsh effects that aging out of the foster care system can have on kids. So she was drawn to work at the Amara Emergency Sanctuary, a stable, safe place for kids who are suddenly removed from their homes, where she’s an evening volunteer. Being at the Sanctuary in